IMPOSING restrictions is a policy here in Egypt, with the aim of curbing freedom, say officials at a Cairo-based nongovernmental organisation. "The NGOs have the spirit of challenge and resistance, which is dangerous for the Government," Hafez Abu Saeda, the Head of the Egyptian Organisation for Human Rights, told The Egyptian Gazette in an interview. A new law on NGOs gives the Government full control over civil society, making these associations civil institutions on the outside but governmental ones in the inside, say critics. The new law consolidates the Government's grip on NGO activity, whether social or political, while the Minister of Social Solidarity is now responsible for funding, they add. This means that, instead of receiving funding directly from donor organisations and countries, NGOs are obliged to apply to the Ministry, which decides whether they're worth funding. The law makes it compulsory for all NGOS to register, criminalising those that don't. “High-profile political groups like Kefaya (Enough) and the National Coalition for Change are officially unregistered,” commented Abu Saeda. The latter is led by the former chief of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Mohammed ElBaradie. The law has also led to the creation of a General Union of Associations and a Regional Federation to supervise the activities of NGOs, which must all become members of both of these institutions. Political commentators say that this law, if it is not amended, will make Egypt's NGOs useless. "Constitutionally, the Head of the State has the right to appoint one third of the Shura Council (the Upper House of the Parliament) members, while the rest are elected," Abu Saeda added. "What happened was that they were all chosen by the Government, either by appointment or rigging.” Abu Saeda warns that the same will happen to the NGOs, with the application of the new law, according to which the President will appoint one-third of the members of the General Union. "The law stipulates that the head of the Union must be a former minister or a former military officer," he explained. "The intention is to choose prominent characters loyal to the Government.” The new law is reported to be more restrictive than Law 84, passed on June 3, 2002. According to that law, NGOs are not allowed to join international associations, thereby restricting their access to foreign funding. Specialists say these new restrictions are clearly relevant to next year's presidential elections. Egyptian opposition says that the President's son, Gamal Mubarak, 45, is being groomed for the top job. Mubarak, 82, has yet to say if he will seek another term in office. "Egyptian political life is being strangled by governmental restrictions under the guise of official laws," Abu Saeda continued. "These laws violate the international standards for NGOs, in terms of their right to freely operate.” In regard to this, there are four main differences between developed and developing countries. In developed countries, the formation of NGOs is unconditional. Registration is via notification, while governments are forbidden to interfere in the affairs of these organisations, which are free to join international associations. But the situation is very different in a developing country like Egypt, where people fear there might be even more restrictions. "I don't think so," said Abu Saeda. "What further restrictions can there be?!"
